.

SLIDER

LIFE LATELY // Hot Air Balloons in Boise (& Why I'm Single)

Friday, September 11, 2015

Last weekend, I had an amazing time hanging out with my old friend Saff, getting more into the swing of school things, and hanging out with my roommate and going around downtown Boise more!

One event I found out about involved a yearly tradition I had no idea existed here - a hot air balloon festival! Starting at 7 AM for five days in a row, this event has been put on for the past 24 years right here in Boise, and it's amazing. Definitely worth the early mornings!

On Saturday night, they did a double show, featuring a "Night Glow" portion where they lit up the balloons in the dark. I definitely decided to attend that!

Unfortunately, the timing of everyone's schedules prevented us from going together, and I ended up going solo. However, I didn't mind, as I'm used to doing such things. It hasn't stopped me from observing just how unusual it is to go singularly to events like this though.

It was as I was walking past groups of friends and couples, that I saw an unaccompanied figure walking amidst the crowd as well. His tall frame caught my attention because of the tripod sticking out of his practical backpack. I fiddled with my own DSLR hanging around my neck, wondering what kind of photographer he was and if he was shooting for someone else or for himself.

As if he heard my thoughts, he turned around and caught my stare. I smiled automatically, a bit embarrassed to have been caught.

He turned around again, a slight smile on his face.

"What are you shooting with?"

Before I could formulate a response, he answered his own question with, "Is that a Nikon D3100?"

I stared, mouth slightly opened in shock and pleasure. "Wow, um, yes! How did you know that?"

His smile broadened. "Ha! That's what I shoot with! What lens have you got on there?"

"A 50 mm. My other lens is broken, so I'm shooting with this one tonight," I explained sheepishly (normally I would've gone for a wide-angle lens for such a huge event).

He outright laughed. "That's exactly the set up I usually shoot with!"

This whole time I'd been struggling to keep up with his long stride, but he slowed his gait enough for me to walk alongside him. We small-chatted a bit, and I found myself intrigued by this character that had appeared out of nowhere.

"So what's your goal for tonight?" I asked.

"Well, I'm actually going to be filming. I'm building up my portfolio - I want to apply to a school in Germany."

"Oh, very impressive!" I exclaimed, looking at him in a new light. He had goals to travel it seemed.

Something about his angular features, intellectual gaze, and the small bits of information I was gleaning from him drew me in.

I stuck my hand out. "I'm Linda by the way."

"Josh." He grabbed my hand and gave a firm handshake.

As we approached the event together, he motioned towards the other side of the field, "I'm heading this way."

Looking back in my memory, I can see how it actually sounded like an invitation when he said it.

But you know what escaped my mouth?

"Okay, good luck!" I waved at him and turned in the opposite direction to merge into the crowds.

Yup, your girl just stuck her foot in her mouth and let what has got to be the most interesting boy I've met since living here walk away. Literally. As I immersed myself into the crowd and started snapping candid photos of strangers, I found my mind and gaze wandering towards the section of the field Josh had headed. My feet had a mind of their own and started trailing in that direction.

Night fell quickly, and I felt my hope of seeing him again diminish with the fading light.

I didn't find him that night, and now I feel as if I've lost a needle in a haystack. It's a bit sad, but I also can't help but laugh at myself and the situation too. This is why I'm single - when opportunity peeks its head in, I wave it away with a: "Okay, good luck!"

*insert laughing-crying face here*

Hahaha!

Although, I feel like clarifying - it's not that I hope(d) to go on a date or something along the lines of romance with him. It's more that I found myself interested in who he was and what he had to say. A person of interest had finally popped up, in a way that made me want to get to know him better. Too often I find the guys I run into on campus have a personality type that drives me away or are quite dull and unadventurous.

Who knows, perhaps if I had gotten to know Josh better, he would've ended up the same as all these other "bros" on campus. But at the very least, I would've liked to have had the chance to discover that.

Now I'll never know.

So ladies, when you run into an attractive stranger and find an unexpected connection, don't chase him off with a wave and a "Okay, good luck!"

Anyway, I still ended up having my breath taken away that night - by the spectacular hot air balloon show! It really was a cool sight to see, and I'm happy to have captured it on camera. I'm planning on putting together a vlog including it soon, so keep an eye out for that (check out my Youtube channel HERE). Plus, if you have a Snapchat, you should add me there! I like to share random tidbits and more personable sides of me, and I'd love it if you connected with me there too!
@the_dragonfruit

12 comments

Aww this made me chuckle :P Sounds like you've been a little out of practice talking to interesting people (or guys, anyway) so maybe next time you'll register it.OR maybe it's great that you were focusing on your photos and filming that night and this turns out to be a shiner on your portfolio! ;) either way I think you're good. xx

Aw sweet post, but lemme tell ya -- I am the exact same. In fact, I wouldn't have thought of that as an invitation even in retrospect because that's how oblivious/un-suave I am. *Sigh*

Lovely photos, though -- there's an annual hot air balloon fest every summer near my area as well, but I always manage to miss it because of something or the other. So, I am really loving these snaps of what seems like a beautiful event.

What a lovely post turned out, I enjoyed a lot! The hot air balloon festival is something really special, I have never seen anything like that. You are a lucky one to be there, even if you were all alone. Those huge balloons look amazing!Have a good start to your week, Linda:)

First off, that balloon festival looks amazing, I've always wanted to go up in a balloon but haven't really had the chance. Your pictures of them are fabulous, the colors came out really well and I feel you on the lens, I'm saving up for something other than the 50mm to shoot landscapes and wildlife. That's really cool that you met someone for a few moments who was so intriguing, I'm usually the same way and I had a few missed connections sticking my foot in my mouth or just not picking up on thing, lol. But you've been really getting so many amazing experiences this past few year, it's been amazing to follow your journey. I think the biggest thing is that you'll start meeting people like him because you do some many thing with your life - getting out there really does allow you to meet cool people even if it's not romantically.

Hot Air Balloons are always so gorgeous! Oh noooo Linda! Any more events in that area soon? Maybe he will attend and you guys can reconnect. If it's meant it will happen. That's a great start :Dhttp://www.averysweetblog.com/

Aaaaaaaaaaaaah! I saw you posting pics of these balloons all over snapchat, and I'm so glad to see you got big pictures of them.

Oh! A BOY STORY! Yep, that probably sounds like something I'd do... and then you go home and you think about it and you realize: SHIT. HE WANTED ME TO GO WITH HIM! And you feel like you want to smash your head into something.

Eh, but if he was going to Germany soon, being a smart dude and fab photographer who could likely get into school over there, maybe it's best to pretend there wasn't hope. Weeping over here for ya, girl. Maybe you'll run into him again! Or maybe one day we ladies will realize when someone is being polite and want us to hang.

I almost screamed "NOOO!" behind my computer when you wrote you walked the other way, haha. but honestly, NOOO! :D now I totally hope you will see him again when you can't even expect it. it's not impossible, right? and what an incredible event of course! I love the photos you took.

psh, why didn't he be clear and ask if you wanted to tag along?! like come on guy, no one ever picks up on subtle hints! and dont feel bad, that's totally something I would have done, too haha. I've had a moment or two where a guy would confess he had a crush on me and i'd just blink at him blankly, stunned. All signals and cues go riiiight over my head.